During my summer reading of Life of Pi, I believed the story to explain Yan Martel's belief that all religions are the same. Pi's faith in Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam signifies that one's religion matters not; what matters is that one choose a faith, even if it be atheism. I understood this aspect of the Martel's message. I did not, however, realize why Martel believes all religions to be so similar. After class and group discusions, as well as personal reflection and research, I know understand that the elements in Life of Pi explain that humans need stories and faith in stories to cope with the irrational madness of life. Pi's experiences on the life raft horrify any who hear them, including Pi himself. To give himself the comforting closure that humans desperately need, he justifies his survival through the marvelous tale of determination, faith, and ingenuity, involving a bengal tiger, a cannibalistic island, and numerous wonders of the sea (the novel). As Pi explains to the Japanese investigators, it matters not which story is true; rather, it matters which story gives the listener closure. After asking them which story they like better, both agree that "the story with animals is the better story" (Martel 319). The two investigators, like all people, prefer the wonders which the animal story provides over the horrors of reality. Martel believes the same of religion. Stories comprise the core religions. Faith in a religion is faith in a story. Just like Pi places his faith in the animal story over faith in reality, humans choose faith in religion over faith in reality. Which story is 'the real one' matters not, "and so it goes with God" (Martel 320). Martel's novel does teach readers that all religions are the same; all religions are stories in which we place faith to cope with the harshness of reality.
Journal Entry #1
I have concluded we are lost. Not just Richard Parker and I- all of us. You, whomever you may be, your family, your friends, every stranger you have passed on the sidewalk- everyone. And all of us (except the immobile agnostics) seek to be found. We search and search and search to comprehend the madness of life. All living things contain a measure of madness; it’s why the rhinos and goats could live in harmony back at the zoo; it’s why the beautiful looking algae island mercilessly consumed humans and fish; it’s why I inexplicably reverted to cannibalism to take a bite of the poor Frenchman (God save his soul), and it’s why a little Indian boy survived at sea for over 200 days without being eaten by a Bengal tiger. We all seek to rationalize this inexplicable chaos. I feel I have done so the only way possible: faith. I place my faith in God with understanding that only He can possibly understand the world. This faith is why I never failed to pray to him all 227 days aboard that forsaken raft. I embrace the irrational world He has created, comforted by the security of His story. That is why I am Pi. I embrace that irrational number with the knowledge that it exists within the closure of a circle. I embrace our irrational world with the faith that we exist within the loving arms of God.
Zebra
Martel uses the zebra in Life of Pi to indicate that even in the face of death, animals have an innate desire for life. According to Martel, no amount of determination can overcome inherent vulnerability. Living creatures are born either predators, dominant and powerful, or prey, cursed to a life of vulnerability. The vulnerable-born life can fight against all odds, can possess unparalleled willpower, and can radiate beauty in the midst of tragedy, but they can never change their status as a victim to predation. From the zebra’s first appearance in the novel, Martel establishes the animal as a victim. He uses the animal to help readers picture the cruelty of man, describing “a zebra stabbed with a sword” as an example (Martel 29). Zebras are a victim to more than just the sword of man. Human poachers frequently target zebras for their beautiful skin and occasionally meat. Human agriculture also destroys their natural habitat, and as humanity builds more farms every year, zebra populations drop every year (African Wildlife Foundation). This pattern of the zebra as an inherent victim also repeats throughout the novel. In chapter 43 Martel reminds readers of the zebra’s place in the food chain as “a familiar prey” (Martel 113). Zebras are born prey, naturally vulnerable to hyenas, lions, and other wild African cats (AllAnimal.org). Furthermore, the zebra suffers immensely aboard the life raft, especially once the hyena discovers it. The predator eats off his victim's leg, leaving only “a flap of skin [which] hung limply over the raw stump” (Martel 120). Though despite its unfortunate position in the natural predator-prey relationship, the zebra does not give up. It continues to fight the hyena with wild kicks and bites, its "hoof beating against the side of the boat" (Martel 125). The animal’s determination astonishes and horrifies Pi, “I had no idea a living being could sustain so much injury and go on living” (Martel 128). Although ultimately, the zebra’s will to live does not help it overcome its inherent place as prey. The animal dies shortly thereafter, “glassy-eyed” (Martel 128). Despite its determination to fight and will to live, the zebra dies just like it was born: a victim fragile as glass. Life is fragile. Martel's zebra demonstrates that no amount of determination can overcome the inherent vulnerability of life, but the struggle to survive when faced with death connects the zebra to Pi and to mankind. Often an animal's will to survive is more powerful than its ability to survive. As the zebra proves, this harsh truth of nature can be difficult to accept. References from the Novel
“The cruelty [of man] is often more active and direct … a zebra stabbed with a sword; and other assaults on other animals” (Martel 29)
“We came to the zebras. [Muslim] Mr. Kumar had never heard of such creatures, let alone seen one. He was dumbfounded.” (Martel 83)
“‘They’re called zebras,’ I said. ‘Have they been painted with a brush?’ ‘No, no. They look like that naturally.’ ‘What happens when it rains?’ ‘Nothing.’ ‘The stripes don’t melt?’ ‘No.’” (Martel 83)
“The zebra’s thick, strong, black lips” (Martel 83)
“touched the zebra’s soft nose” (Martel 83)
"'The Rolls-Royce of equids,' said Mr. Kumar. 'What a wondrous creature,' said Mr. Kumar. [...] I said, 'It's very pretty.'" (Martel 84)
“leaping with the grace of a racehorse. The zebra missed the tarpaulin. It was a male Grant, weighing over five hundred pounds.” (Martel 105)
“be called a burst of barking, a kwa-ha-ha, kwa-ha-ha , kwa-ha-ha put out at the highest pitch of distress. The creature’s lips were widely parted, standing upright and quivering, revealing yellow teeth and dark pink gums.” (Martel 105)
“zebra’s head thrashing about.“ (Martel 106)
“I was surprised to see that the zebra was still alive. It lay near the stern, where it had fallen, listless, but its stomach was still panting and its eyes were still moving, expressing terror” (Martel 109)
“It was a lovely animal. Its wet markings glowed brightly white and intensely black.” 50
“the strange fact that Richard Parker had not killed it. In the normal course of things he should have killed the zebra. That’s what predators do: they kill prey … The zebra should have been properly butchered.” (Martel 109)
“zebra, a familiar prey” (Martel 113)
“The zebra, by comparison, swiftly reared its head and barked” (Martel 114)
“ Even the zebra, which at first snorted each time the hyena raced by its head, fell into a stupor” (Martel 115)
“in reaching for a bite of zebra, a hyena will take in the ear or nostril of a clan member” (Martel 117)
“At times the zebra made noises about the predator just behind it, but mostly it lay in hopeless and sullen silence” (Martel 117)
“A flap of skin hung limply over the raw stump. Blood was still dripping. The victim bore its suffering patiently, without showy remonstrations. A slow and constant grinding of its teeth was the only visible sign of distress.” (Martel 120)
“such a big, strapping creature it wasn’t at the end of its ordeal” (Martel 120)
“A strip of hide came off the zebra’s belly like gift-wrap paper comes off a gift, in a smooth-edged swath, only silently, in the way of tearing skin, and with greater resistance. Barking, snorting and squealing, the zebra came to life to defend itself” (Martel 125)
“the helpless zebra” (Martel 126)
“The zebra was still alive. I couldn’t believe it. It had a two-foot-wide hole in its body, a fistula like a freshly erupted volcano, spewed half-eaten organs glistening in the light or giving off a dull, dry shine, yet, in its strictly essential parts, it continued to pump with life, if weakly. Movement was confined to a tremor in the rear leg and an occasional blinking of the eyes. I was horrified. I had no idea a living being could sustain so much injury and go on living.” (Martel 128)
“The zebra was dead by noon. It was glassy-eyed and had become perfectly indifferent to the hyena’s occasional assaults.“ (Martel 128)
Physical Characteristics
Zebras are black with white stripes
Can weigh up to 770 pounds
Have stripes to blur outline from predators
Stripes confuse predators via motion dazzle- stripes make a herd appear to be one large mass
Stripes unique to each zebra
Stripes discourage flies and also help keep zebra cool (repel 70% of incoming heat)
Have great stamina; can walk, trot, canter, and gallop
Have excellent eye sight and night vision along with excellent hearing ability; also acute smell and taste
Zebras with black and white stripes existing together commonly represent harmony and balance of opposites
Because they are always alert to predators, Zebras also symbolize the need for protection and security
Zebras can represent individuality and uniqueness, as no zebra stripe pattern is like another
Zebras always travel together to create the illusion of one large creature, so they can symbolize strength in teamwork
Stripes blur a Zebra's outline and confuse predators with illusion- Zebras symbolize the magic of illusion and shortfalls of trusting only what one sees
In Life of Pi, the Dorado represents the strength brought by hope in the face of dispair. In Pi’s most desperate moments, when he is on the verge of giving up, hope brings him new strength. Martel uses the dorado to symbolize the strength hope brings him using one of Pi's faiths: Christianity. In the Christian Book of Genesis, after cleansing the world of sin with a great flood, God sends a promise to never again destroy humanity through a rainbow. The rainbow symbolizes a new hope for man in the face of destruction and despair (Bilbestudy.org). Martel uses the Christian rainbow symbol to associate hope with the dorado. When a dorado dies, its nervous system fails resulting in the wild movement of its light-refracting scales. The wild movement causes the dorado to rapidly flash brilliant colors (Florida Museum of Natural History). In the novel, as Pi observes this phenomenon, he “felt like I [he] was beating a rainbow” (Martel 185). The dorado’s rainbow appearance alludes to the Christian symbol of hope and promise. Martel indicates the strength of this hope by describing the dorado’s might. When Pi struggles to wrestle his first dorado aboard the life raft, Martel illustrates the force behind the fish’s fight by labeling it “as strong as an ox” (Martel 184). He also describes the sheer size of powerful dorados, which average a monstrous 30 pounds of muscle at up to six feet long (American Littoral Society). Pi’s bucket would fit the muscular fish “like a hat” (Martel 184). More than merely being strong, dorados bring Pi strength. In chapter 80, when a rainbow dorado accidentally jumps aboard the raft directly between Pi and Richard Parker, the two have a face off. Pi almost gives up, stating his "time had come" (Martel 221). Nevertheless, Pi ignores his assured doom. He directly challenges the tiger, staring him dead in the eyes with unparalleled determination. Richard Parker “was nothing compared to the strength in my mind” (Martel 221). Pi’s courage wins him the dorado and Richard Parker backs down. Just like God's rainbow, the fish brings Pi new-found hope and courage in face of dispair, “from that day onwards I [Pi] felt my mastery was no longer in question” (Martel 222). Pi learns he does in fact have hope against Richard Parker. Martel’s dorado brings Pi strength and courage in the form of hope, illustrated by the dorado’s rainbow colors.The brilliant blue, green, and yellow flashes connect Pi's acquired strength to the strength humanity gained from God's rainbow. Humanity rebuilt with a new, stronger faith in God after the suffering of the flood, and he has allowed our world to flourish ever since. Hope brings strength in the face of despair.
References from Novel
“There were fish–big fish with protruding foreheads and very long dorsal fins, dorados they are called“ (Martel 154)
“And here the cars were of the craziest colours. The dorados–there must have been over fifty patrolling beneath the raft–showed off their bright gold, blue and green as they whisked by” (Martel 176)
“ dorados were leaping out of the water in hot pursuit of them. The much larger dorados couldn’t match their flying, but they were faster swimmers and their short lunges were very powerful“ (Martel 181-182)
“A dorado surged forth and lunged for the fish head … The dorado exploded out of the water, tugging on the line so hard I thought it was going to pull me off the raft … The fish was as strong as an ox … it fought like a devil” (Martel 184)
“It was over three feet long. The bucket was useless. It would fit the dorado like a hat … It was a writhing mass of pure muscle” (Martel 184)
“A dorado is a magnificent-looking fish, large, fleshy and sleek, with a bulging forehead that speaks of a forceful personality, a very long dorsal fin as proud as a cock’s comb, and a coat of scales that is smooth and bright. I felt I was dealing fate a serious blow by engaging such a handsome adversary. With this fish I was retaliating against the sea, against the wind, against the sinking of ships, against all circumstances that were working against me. ‘Thank you, Lord Vishnu, thank you!’ I shouted. ‘Once you saved the world by taking the form of a fish. Now you have saved me by taking the form of a fish. Thank you, thank you!’” (Martel 184-185)
“did a most extraordinary thing as it died: it began to flash all kinds of colours in rapid succession. Blue, green, red, gold and violet flickered and shimmered neon-like on its surface as it struggled. I felt I was beating a rainbow to death” (Martel 185)
“I fell asleep, my mind lit up by the chameleon-like flickering of the dying dorado.” (Martel 186)
“Dorado had a firmer texture and a stronger taste” (Martel 212)
“Of all the dorados, I remember one in particular, a special dorado … But I held my stare. Richard Parker licked his nose, groaned and turned away. He angrily batted a flying fish. I had won. I gasped with disbelief, heaved the dorado into my hands and hurried away to the raft. Shortly thereafter, I delivered to Richard Parker a fair chunk of the fish. From that day onwards I felt my mastery was no longer in question” (Martel 221-222)
“ I caught a dorado. We hadn’t eaten anything in three days” (Martel 240)
“It was very exciting when the cook hauled aboard a turtle or caught a great big dorado. It made us smile broadly“ (Martel 309)
Physical Characteristics
Single dorsal fin extends length of the body
Anal fin starting in middle of body and ending at tail fin
Deeply forked tail fin designed for high speed swimming
Blunt head and many small teeth in the large mouth
Dramatic, bright coloration especially underwater where it reflects a wide variety of colors
Golden on the side, blue and green on the back and side, white and yellow on the belly
Large fish averaging 30lbs in weight and 3ft in length
Grow quickly maturing 4-5 months into their 4 year lifespan
Loose bright color soon after death and turn silver
In Life of Pi, the orangutan demonstrates that effectively utilizing a skill requires the attitude to do so. Many times while stuck at sea Pi must overcome mental blocks to survive, not lack of skill. Pi knows very well how to butcher a fish: chop its head off. But in order to kill the fish, Pi has to overcome his vegetarian attitude. He weeps and weeps for the sea creature but ultimately, "knew it had to be done" and kills the fish (Martel 183). Martel’s orangutan, Orange Juice, demonstrates the consequences when one fails to take the proper attitude. He immediately makes the raw strength of the animal clear to readers. As Pi’s father warns Pi and his brother about the dangers of the zoo animals, he vividly describes the power of orangutans “as strong as ten men. They'll break your bones as if they were twigs” (Martel 37). Pi also notes Orange Juice's strength through her fearsome teeth and loud roar, “She pulled back her lips showing off enormous canines, and began to roar. It was a deep, powerful, huffing roar” (Martel 128). An orangutan’s roar, named “Long Call,” is loud enough for one to hear at over a mile away (Orangutan.com). Orange Juice faces a test of her strength and will in chapter 47 when the hyena attacks her. She initially utilizes it, thumping the hyena hard on the head. But when the hyena counter-attacks, she does not fare so well because she does not fight with proper mindset. While the expert predator fearlessly goes for her neck, “her defense lacked precision and coherence” (Martel 131). Despite her fearsome canines and brute strength, Orange Juice cannot defend herself without the combat mindset of a predator, “what does a fruit eater know about killing?” (Martel 130). Wild orangutans’ diet consists almost entirely of fruit, only occasionally eating meat in the form of a small insect (World Wildlife Fund: Orangutans). They use their upper body strength only to swing from tree to tree, their main mode of transportation (Orangutan.com). Furthermore, Orange Juice lacks the attitude of a fighter. She is a gentle mother “practicing her maternal skills” (Martel 130), not a fearless fighter like the hyena. To fight effectively, one needs to fight aggressively and fearlessly. Her fighting spirit came directly from fear, which “only hampered her” (Martel 131). Orange Juice falls prey to the fearless hyena despite her strength and grit. She possessed the skills necessary to survive, but without attitude to use them effectively, her skills proved useless. Orange Juice connects to what could have been Pi, had he not abandoned his old vegetarian, peaceful mindset. Pi does what he needs to survive: he "abandoned the last vestiges of humanness" (Martel 214). When facing death, one must abandon any previous morals in favor savagery to survive, no matter how difficult or terrible. Pi struggles with this key adjustment and almost dies at sea because of it, just like the gentle orangutan.
References from Novel
“I left for school under the benevolent gaze not only of Mother but also … stretching and yawning orang-utans” (Martel 14)
“I noticed Sitaram, who oversaw the orang-utans, my favourite keeper” (Martel 33)
“‘As strong as ten men. They'll break your bones as if they were twigs. I know some of them were once pets and you played with them when they were small. But now they're grown-up and wild and unpredictable.’” (Martel 37)
“She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely the Virgin Mary. The rising sun was behind her. Her flaming hair looked stunning” (Martel 111)
“‘Oh blessed Great Mother, Pondicherry fertility goddess, provider of milk and love, wondrous arm spread of comfort, terror of ticks, picker-up of crying ones, are you to witness this tragedy too? It's not right that gentleness meet horror’” (Martel 111)
“‘What do you know about the sea? Nothing. What do I know about the sea? Nothing. Without a driver this bus is lost. Our lives are over.’” (Martel 111)
“It was Orange Juice-so called because she tended to drool-our prize Borneo orang-utan matriarch, zoo star and mother of two fine boys, surrounded by a mass of black spiders that crawled around her like malevolent worshippers.“ (Martel 111-112)
“Orange Juice was in a fog. Her gestures were slow and tentative and her eyes reflected deep mental confusion. She was in a state of profound shock.” (Martel 112)
“Orange Juice had seemed practically cataleptic. My guess was she was dying of shock.” (Martel 113)
“an orang-utan, an unfamiliar one [prey]” (Martel 113)
“I let out a laugh. Everything about Orange Juice at that moment spelled one word: seasickness. The image of a new species popped into my head: the rare seafaring green orang-utan. I returned to my sitting position. The poor dear looked so humanly sick! It is a particularly funny thing to read human traits in animals, especially in apes and monkeys, where it is so easy. Simians are the clearest mirrors we have in the animal world … she had also taken on both our feelings of seasickness. I was feeling fine now.” (Martel 121-122)
“she was uninjured. And she had her back turned to the hyena, as if she felt she could safely ignore it.” (Martel 122)
“They are in the trees because that is where they live, not because they are afraid of the spotted hyenas.” (Martel 123)
“ she looked like a refrigerator on crooked wheels” (Martel 126)
“She pulled back her lips, showing off enormous canines, and began to roar. It was a deep, powerful, huffing roar, amazing for an animal normally as silent as a giraffe” (Martel 128)
“ I underestimated her. I underestimated her grit.” (Martel 129)
“She thumped the beast on the head. It was something shocking. It made my heart melt with love and admiration and fear. Did I mention she was a former pet, callously discarded by her Indonesian owners?“ (Martel 129)
“She remained gentle and unaggressive her whole life … She was a young female practising her maternal skills … This display of ferocity, of savage courage, made me realize that I was wrong. All my life I had known only a part of her” (Martel 130)
“She thumped the beast on the head. And what a thump it was … Orange Juice's stirring defence brought a glow to my heart.“ (Martel 130)
“An adult female orang-utan cannot defeat an adult male spotted hyena. That is the plain empirical truth … What it comes down to is attitude and knowledge. What does a fruit eater know about killing? … An orang-utan may be taller, may have very strong and agile arms and long canines, but if it does not know how to use these as weapons, they are of little use.” (Martel 130)
“To the end she reminded me of us: her eyes expressed fear in such a humanlike way, as did her strained whimpers” (Martel 131)
“She looked like a simian Christ on the Cross” (Martel 132)
“ his mother is the orang-utan” (Martel 311)
Physical Characteristics
Largest tree-dwelling mammal in the world
Have unique orange-red color unlike any other ape
Feet are more like extra pair of hands enabling dexterity when moving in treetops but awkward ground walking
Live 35-40 year in wild and 50 in captivity
Puberty at 8 years but females not ready for birth until teenage years
Males over 200 pounds in weight
Females are half to a third the size of males
Make distinct, lowd, throat-generated sound named “Long Call” which can be heard at 1.2 mile range
Highly intelligent and close relative to human sharing 97% of DNA
Born with ability to think and reason… some even make tools
Wingspan of 7ft, greater than height of 5ft. Their arms almost touch ground when standing upright
In Life of Pi, the sloth shows that sometimes one must sacrifice reason for faith to survive and explain life. Existence is a chaotic, irrational miracle of God. Consistently during his effort to survive, Pi observes a total disregard to logic in the workings of the world, “all living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways” (Martel 41). Pi keeps a level head in all this madness by abandoning reason for faith and harmony with God, much like Martel’s sloth abandons logic for harmony with its environment. Unlike most species, which survive by skillful use of acute senses, the sloth would be just fine born deaf and blind. The sloth has poor vision, seeing “everything in a Magoo-like blur” (Martel 4). While his sloth can hear, it is “uninterested in sound” (Martel 4). This care-free attitude also shows in the sloth’s speed, most days moving “four to five metres in an hour” (Martel 4). Despite its irrational demeanor towards life, the sloth survives. It survives by being so unusually relaxed, which allow it to be “in perfect harmony with its environment” (Martel 4). Sloths move slow enough to develop a symbiotic relationship with algae by harboring it in their fur; the algae gets somewhere to live and the sloth receives excellent camouflage (EDGE Organization). The sloth, and their perfect harmony with nature, remind Pi of one who has total faith in God, an “upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings” (Martel 5). Pi recognizes the wisdom in living a life of faith over a life reason; it is how he survives the madness of dispair. Reason falls short of explaining this madness alone. It can explain simple things such as how to acquire food, but “‘be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater’” (Martel 298). Martel connects Pi’s ideas of faith and reason to the sloth by showing even a wild animal can survive through faith. God created the miracle of life with an element of madness unexplainable through logic. One can only wholly accept the irrational world we live in through faith, just like Pi and Martel’s sloth do to survive. References from Novel
“There are two-toed sloths and there are three-toed sloths” (Martel 3)
“Its only real habit is indolence. It sleeps or rests on average twenty hours a day” (Martel 3)
“The sloth is at its busiest at sunset, using the word busy here in the most relaxed sense” (Martel 3-4)
“it crawls to its next tree at the rate of 250 metres an hour, when motivated, which is 440 times slower than a motivated cheetah. Unmotivated, it covers four to five metres in an hour” (Martel 4)
“The three-toed sloth is not well informed about the outside world” (Martel 4)
“If you come upon a sleeping three-toed sloth in the wild, two or three nudges should suffice to awaken it; it will then look sleepily in every direction but yours“ (Martel 4)
“ the sloth sees everything in a Magoo-like blur” (Martel 4)
“not so much deaf as uninterested in sound” (Martel 4)
“ able to sniff and avoid decayed branches, but Bullock (1968) reported that sloths fall to the ground clinging to decayed branches ‘often’“ (Martel 4)
“How does it survive, you might ask” (Martel 4)
“Sleepiness and slothfulness keep it out of harm's way, away from the notice of
jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagles and anacondas“ (Martel 4)
“the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage … or like nothing at all but part of a tree” (Martel 4)
“The three-toed sloth lives a peaceful, vegetarian life in perfect harmony with its environment. ‘A good-natured smile is forever on its lips’“ (Martel 4)
“I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing” (Martel 5)
“agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright-reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God.” (Martel 5)
Physical Characteristics
Can turn neck 270 degrees
Have either two or three long claws on front paws
23-27 inches long at 17.5-18.5 pounds
Only 25% of body mass is muscle meaning they are unable to shiver
Fur is coated in algae which acts as camouflage
Hair grows upside down for improved water drainage while hanging
Have extremely strong grip to hang for long duration
My Understanding Before and After
Table of Contents
Journal Entry #1
I have concluded we are lost. Not just Richard Parker and I- all of us. You, whomever you may be, your family, your friends, every stranger you have passed on the sidewalk- everyone. And all of us (except the immobile agnostics) seek to be found. We search and search and search to comprehend the madness of life. All living things contain a measure of madness; it’s why the rhinos and goats could live in harmony back at the zoo; it’s why the beautiful looking algae island mercilessly consumed humans and fish; it’s why I inexplicably reverted to cannibalism to take a bite of the poor Frenchman (God save his soul), and it’s why a little Indian boy survived at sea for over 200 days without being eaten by a Bengal tiger. We all seek to rationalize this inexplicable chaos. I feel I have done so the only way possible: faith. I place my faith in God with understanding that only He can possibly understand the world. This faith is why I never failed to pray to him all 227 days aboard that forsaken raft. I embrace the irrational world He has created, comforted by the security of His story. That is why I am Pi. I embrace that irrational number with the knowledge that it exists within the closure of a circle. I embrace our irrational world with the faith that we exist within the loving arms of God.Zebra
Martel uses the zebra in Life of Pi to indicate that even in the face of death, animals have an innate desire for life. According to Martel, no amount of determination can overcome inherent vulnerability. Living creatures are born either predators, dominant and powerful, or prey, cursed to a life of vulnerability. The vulnerable-born life can fight against all odds, can possess unparalleled willpower, and can radiate beauty in the midst of tragedy, but they can never change their status as a victim to predation. From the zebra’s first appearance in the novel, Martel establishes the animal as a victim. He uses the animal to help readers picture the cruelty of man, describing “a zebra stabbed with a sword” as an example (Martel 29). Zebras are a victim to more than just the sword of man. Human poachers frequently target zebras for their beautiful skin and occasionally meat. Human agriculture also destroys their natural habitat, and as humanity builds more farms every year, zebra populations drop every year (African Wildlife Foundation). This pattern of the zebra as an inherent victim also repeats throughout the novel. In chapter 43 Martel reminds readers of the zebra’s place in the food chain as “a familiar prey” (Martel 113). Zebras are born prey, naturally vulnerable to hyenas, lions, and other wild African cats (AllAnimal.org). Furthermore, the zebra suffers immensely aboard the life raft, especially once the hyena discovers it. The predator eats off his victim's leg, leaving only “a flap of skin [which] hung limply over the raw stump” (Martel 120). Though despite its unfortunate position in the natural predator-prey relationship, the zebra does not give up. It continues to fight the hyena with wild kicks and bites, its "hoof beating against the side of the boat" (Martel 125). The animal’s determination astonishes and horrifies Pi, “I had no idea a living being could sustain so much injury and go on living” (Martel 128). Although ultimately, the zebra’s will to live does not help it overcome its inherent place as prey. The animal dies shortly thereafter, “glassy-eyed” (Martel 128). Despite its determination to fight and will to live, the zebra dies just like it was born: a victim fragile as glass. Life is fragile. Martel's zebra demonstrates that no amount of determination can overcome the inherent vulnerability of life, but the struggle to survive when faced with death connects the zebra to Pi and to mankind. Often an animal's will to survive is more powerful than its ability to survive. As the zebra proves, this harsh truth of nature can be difficult to accept.References from the Novel
Physical Characteristics
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits
Natural Habitat
Common Symbolism
Dorado
In Life of Pi, the Dorado represents the strength brought by hope in the face of dispair. In Pi’s most desperate moments, when he is on the verge of giving up, hope brings him new strength. Martel uses the dorado to symbolize the strength hope brings him using one of Pi's faiths: Christianity. In the Christian Book of Genesis, after cleansing the world of sin with a great flood, God sends a promise to never again destroy humanity through a rainbow. The rainbow symbolizes a new hope for man in the face of destruction and despair (Bilbestudy.org). Martel uses the Christian rainbow symbol to associate hope with the dorado. When a dorado dies, its nervous system fails resulting in the wild movement of its light-refracting scales. The wild movement causes the dorado to rapidly flash brilliant colors (Florida Museum of Natural History). In the novel, as Pi observes this phenomenon, he “felt like I [he] was beating a rainbow” (Martel 185). The dorado’s rainbow appearance alludes to the Christian symbol of hope and promise. Martel indicates the strength of this hope by describing the dorado’s might. When Pi struggles to wrestle his first dorado aboard the life raft, Martel illustrates the force behind the fish’s fight by labeling it “as strong as an ox” (Martel 184). He also describes the sheer size of powerful dorados, which average a monstrous 30 pounds of muscle at up to six feet long (American Littoral Society). Pi’s bucket would fit the muscular fish “like a hat” (Martel 184). More than merely being strong, dorados bring Pi strength. In chapter 80, when a rainbow dorado accidentally jumps aboard the raft directly between Pi and Richard Parker, the two have a face off. Pi almost gives up, stating his "time had come" (Martel 221). Nevertheless, Pi ignores his assured doom. He directly challenges the tiger, staring him dead in the eyes with unparalleled determination. Richard Parker “was nothing compared to the strength in my mind” (Martel 221). Pi’s courage wins him the dorado and Richard Parker backs down. Just like God's rainbow, the fish brings Pi new-found hope and courage in face of dispair, “from that day onwards I [Pi] felt my mastery was no longer in question” (Martel 222). Pi learns he does in fact have hope against Richard Parker. Martel’s dorado brings Pi strength and courage in the form of hope, illustrated by the dorado’s rainbow colors.The brilliant blue, green, and yellow flashes connect Pi's acquired strength to the strength humanity gained from God's rainbow. Humanity rebuilt with a new, stronger faith in God after the suffering of the flood, and he has allowed our world to flourish ever since. Hope brings strength in the face of despair.References from Novel
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Common Symbolism
Orangutan
In Life of Pi, the orangutan demonstrates that effectively utilizing a skill requires the attitude to do so. Many times while stuck at sea Pi must overcome mental blocks to survive, not lack of skill. Pi knows very well how to butcher a fish: chop its head off. But in order to kill the fish, Pi has to overcome his vegetarian attitude. He weeps and weeps for the sea creature but ultimately, "knew it had to be done" and kills the fish (Martel 183). Martel’s orangutan, Orange Juice, demonstrates the consequences when one fails to take the proper attitude. He immediately makes the raw strength of the animal clear to readers. As Pi’s father warns Pi and his brother about the dangers of the zoo animals, he vividly describes the power of orangutans “as strong as ten men. They'll break your bones as if they were twigs” (Martel 37). Pi also notes Orange Juice's strength through her fearsome teeth and loud roar, “She pulled back her lips showing off enormous canines, and began to roar. It was a deep, powerful, huffing roar” (Martel 128). An orangutan’s roar, named “Long Call,” is loud enough for one to hear at over a mile away (Orangutan.com). Orange Juice faces a test of her strength and will in chapter 47 when the hyena attacks her. She initially utilizes it, thumping the hyena hard on the head. But when the hyena counter-attacks, she does not fare so well because she does not fight with proper mindset. While the expert predator fearlessly goes for her neck, “her defense lacked precision and coherence” (Martel 131). Despite her fearsome canines and brute strength, Orange Juice cannot defend herself without the combat mindset of a predator, “what does a fruit eater know about killing?” (Martel 130). Wild orangutans’ diet consists almost entirely of fruit, only occasionally eating meat in the form of a small insect (World Wildlife Fund: Orangutans). They use their upper body strength only to swing from tree to tree, their main mode of transportation (Orangutan.com). Furthermore, Orange Juice lacks the attitude of a fighter. She is a gentle mother “practicing her maternal skills” (Martel 130), not a fearless fighter like the hyena. To fight effectively, one needs to fight aggressively and fearlessly. Her fighting spirit came directly from fear, which “only hampered her” (Martel 131). Orange Juice falls prey to the fearless hyena despite her strength and grit. She possessed the skills necessary to survive, but without attitude to use them effectively, her skills proved useless. Orange Juice connects to what could have been Pi, had he not abandoned his old vegetarian, peaceful mindset. Pi does what he needs to survive: he "abandoned the last vestiges of humanness" (Martel 214). When facing death, one must abandon any previous morals in favor savagery to survive, no matter how difficult or terrible. Pi struggles with this key adjustment and almost dies at sea because of it, just like the gentle orangutan.References from Novel
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Sloth
In Life of Pi, the sloth shows that sometimes one must sacrifice reason for faith to survive and explain life. Existence is a chaotic, irrational miracle of God. Consistently during his effort to survive, Pi observes a total disregard to logic in the workings of the world, “all living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways” (Martel 41). Pi keeps a level head in all this madness by abandoning reason for faith and harmony with God, much like Martel’s sloth abandons logic for harmony with its environment. Unlike most species, which survive by skillful use of acute senses, the sloth would be just fine born deaf and blind. The sloth has poor vision, seeing “everything in a Magoo-like blur” (Martel 4). While his sloth can hear, it is “uninterested in sound” (Martel 4). This care-free attitude also shows in the sloth’s speed, most days moving “four to five metres in an hour” (Martel 4). Despite its irrational demeanor towards life, the sloth survives. It survives by being so unusually relaxed, which allow it to be “in perfect harmony with its environment” (Martel 4). Sloths move slow enough to develop a symbiotic relationship with algae by harboring it in their fur; the algae gets somewhere to live and the sloth receives excellent camouflage (EDGE Organization). The sloth, and their perfect harmony with nature, remind Pi of one who has total faith in God, an “upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings” (Martel 5). Pi recognizes the wisdom in living a life of faith over a life reason; it is how he survives the madness of dispair. Reason falls short of explaining this madness alone. It can explain simple things such as how to acquire food, but “‘be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater’” (Martel 298). Martel connects Pi’s ideas of faith and reason to the sloth by showing even a wild animal can survive through faith. God created the miracle of life with an element of madness unexplainable through logic. One can only wholly accept the irrational world we live in through faith, just like Pi and Martel’s sloth do to survive.References from Novel
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Group Notes on What's in Pi's Name